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EYE ON BOLLYWOOD OCTOBER 09, 2026 | The Indian Eye 44

Ranbir Kapoor steps into the role of

Rama with a sense of responsibility

As Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious two-part Ramayana approaches its Diwali 2026 release, Kapoor’s

portrayal of Lord Rama is emerging as one of the film’s most closely watched elements.

OUR BUREAU
Mumbai / Los Angeles

or Ranbir Kapoor, playing
Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s
FRamayana is not simply anoth-
er major role in a film career filled
with diverse characters. The actor
has described the part as a responsi-
bility, reflecting the special place the
epic occupies in Indian cultural and
religious consciousness.
The makers of Ramayana under-
lined that responsibility on Kapoor’s
birthday by releasing a behind-the-
scenes video offering a glimpse of
his preparation for the role. The
video shows Kapoor working on his
character alongside director Nitesh
Tiwari and the film’s ensemble cast,
while also revealing the scale of the
production being mounted around
the epic.
Tiwari speaks in the video about
the importance of finding the right
actor for a story such as Ramayana, Kapoor (center) is joined by Sai Pallavi as Sita and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman (File)
given the deep faith and emotional
connection that audiences have with parts of the world have also been Dubey, speaking earlier about play- Dharma Productions will distribute
the epic. Kapoor, meanwhile, says brought into the production. ing Lakshman, described his ap- the film in the Hindi-speaking mar-
that he approaches the role with a The physical preparation reflects proach to the role in terms of “sur- ket. The project is also planned for a
sense of responsibility rather than the scale at which the filmmakers are render”, reflecting the character’s worldwide IMAX release.
treating Rama simply as another approaching the epic. Rather than devotion to Rama. For Kapoor, however, the im-
character. relying only on established Bolly- The filmmakers have been grad- mediate focus remains the character
That distinction is central to wood production practices, producer ually releasing material from Ra- at the centre of the production. His
the expectations surrounding the Namit Malhotra has assembled In- mayana as anticipation builds around decision to describe Rama as a re-
film. Rama is not merely one of the dian and international creative and the project. A recently released trail- sponsibility captures the unusual de-
protagonists of the epic; the char- technical talent for the project. er and the latest behind-the-scenes mands of the role.
acter carries a cultural significance Kapoor is joined by Sai Pallavi as video have offered audiences glimps- With the film seeking to combine
that makes the casting and portray- Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as es of the film’s cast, action prepara- the cultural roots of the epic with
al particularly sensitive. For Kapoor, Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Laksh- tion and visual scale without reveal- international filmmaking technol-
therefore, the challenge extends be- man. Arun Govil, who played Rama ing the entire cinematic treatment of ogy and action expertise, Kapoor’s
yond performance and action. It in- in the iconic television adaptation of the epic. performance will be one of the key
volves presenting a character famil- Ramayan, appears as King Dashrath The film is being produced by elements through which audiences
iar to generations of Indians while in the new film. Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios experience this new cinematic inter-
interpreting him within the cinemat- The presence of Govil adds an- in collaboration with DNEG and pretation of Rama.
ic world created by Tiwari. other layer to the project’s cultural Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. It The scale of Ramayana may
The behind-the-scenes video resonance. His portrayal of Rama is planned as a two-part production, generate the headlines, but the actor
also provides glimpses of the prepa- remains strongly associated with the with the first part scheduled to arrive playing Rama will ultimately have to
ration that has gone into building television era of the epic, making worldwide during Diwali 2026 and carry the emotional centre of the sto-
Kapoor’s version of Rama. The ac- his participation in Tiwari’s film an the second during Diwali 2027. ry. For Kapoor, that journey has be-
tor has undergone extensive action interesting link between two genera- The two films are planned for gun not merely with the preparation
training, with international action tions of screen adaptations. release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, for a demanding film role, but with
director Terry Notary working with The relationship between the Kannada and Malayalam across In- an awareness of the weight attached
him on the film’s action sequences. central characters is also becoming dia, while Sony Pictures will handle to the character he has been chosen
Stunt professionals from different part of the film’s public narrative. global distribution outside India. to portray.

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